botellon phenomena

BOTELLON!

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objectives1. To infer the author/speakers opinion and the point of view of a text.

2. To select, from a series of given arguments, the most relevant in order to defend aspecific point of view.

3. To express an opinion on a given topic justifying it with relevant arguments and usingappropriate linguistic expressions

INTRODUCTION

What is the Botelln phenomenon?

POINTS OF VIEW

Inferring the basic elementsof communication

FINAL TASKDiscuss the issue of the Botelln and

propose some solutions to thisproblem.

DISCUSSION LANGUAGE

Refuting and confirming opinions. Expressing opinions appropriately.

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activities1. Botelln discussing the basic issues and factors.

2. Inferring the basic elements of communication (who, authors opinion)3. Identifying language features that support opinions, and identifying the arguments.4. Using the language of agreement and disagreement.5. Identifying the message of an argument, either pro or con.

6. Refuting or confirming what other people said7.Watching debates and comparing styles adopted and language used.8.Listening to information about cultural differences regarding debating.

9. Discussion: Checklist.10. Organising the discussion.11. Assessing the discussion.

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botelln! introduction

WHAT IS BOTELLON?Fill in the mind map with words that you associate with the Botelln phenomenon.

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BOTELLON

Cheap

DANGER! BOTELLON ZONE!In this unit, well discuss the issue of Botelln and propose some solutions to this problem. Before westart working, however, find a partner and answer the following questions:

1.What is the botelln?

2. Is there a botelln zone in your town? Where?

3.What do you think about the botelln phenomenon?

4.What do your parents think?

5.And your teachers?

6. Does botelln have any negative side effects?

7. Does it have any positive aspects?

8. How could we solve the problems associated with the botelln phenomenon?

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2

Well, I think that .....So, what do you thinkabout botelln?

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LOOKING FOR INFORMATION1)The texts below show different viewpoints on the Botelln issue. All the texts (1-7) are spoken bydifferent types of people. Match these five types of people below (a-e) with five of the texts, thentry to guess which type of person is speaking in the two missing ones (f & g).

2) Quote evidence from each text to justify the matchings you have made above.

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Number 6 is probably a shopkeeper because he says Its difficult to know if kids are 18 or not.

WHO AM I? A shopkeeper 6

A doctor

A neighbour

A liberal parent

A youth

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botelln! points of view

I cant see what the problem is. Young people have to enjoy themselves insome way. The problem is that the media exaggerates the phenomenon andtries to suggest that society is on the point of collapse! Youths are less rebel-lious if you leave them alone. They should experiment with alcohol, and seefor themselves that its bad for them, and that sitting for hours in a plaza,with a plastic bottle of some disgusting drink is really a waste of time. Butthey have to learn that for themselves. Drinking can be educational - at least,thats been my experience! If you try to stop them from doing it in a publicplace, theyll just find somewhere less obvious, and continue.

I face this problem every day.The youth of today dont understand that alco-

hol abuse can cause many physical and psychological problems.That is, alco-

hol can be a serious impediment to their social and intellectual development,

and besides, drinking alcohol in large amounts at a young age can cause

health problems later in life, especially for the liver and the pancreas. There

should be more education in schools regarding these matters.

The problem with botelln is that it keeps us awake at night. They all sitdown there in the middle of the plaza and theyre alright at first, but thenlater on they get drunk and start shouting and breaking things. I used tothink this was a safe neighbourhood, but now Im not so sure. I suppose thepolice could fine people who sell them the alcohol, and oblige people whoare under-16 to show their ID if they want to buy it from shops. I dont wantmy children to be influenced by seeing all this. I hope they dont join thosebotelln kids!

Kids nowadays are under a lot of pressure. T

hey have to study all the time

exams every week, dothis do that. So they

need to escape sometimes, and

its great to just sit andchat with friends with

some bottles of Kalimotxo or

something. Its not very strong, so its no prob

lem. People dont getdrunk

and aggressive, they just get happy. They nee

d it, after a week at school.

Anyway, parents go out drinking, so its a bit

crazy to expect us todo any-

thing differently.We should all relax and enjo

y life. Besides, I haventseen kids

up as late as they say. Maybe 3 in the mor

ning, but hey, thats not late!

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2

3

4

3)Which of the seven passages reflect the opinions below? Write in the numbers.

a. Anti-botelln

b. Pro-botelln

c.Neutral

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The botelln issue for me is a reflection of the way society has deterioratedin the last 50 years. When I was a child we had more respect for our par-ents and the law, and we would not have behaved so badly in public. Nowa-days, youths are not taught to defer to authority but automatically to opposeit. They think its clever to get drunk, but its just pathetic. Parents should bestricter with their kids. My children are taught to respect, and if they dont,theyre in trouble!

Its difficult to know if kids are 18 or not. Ifauthorities really want to stop

the problem they should reduce the age of legal drinking to 16. Its much

easier to distinguish a 15 year-old from a 17year-old. Im very strict so I

dont sell it to anybody, but most people dont care. Theyre only concerned

with the money.

Last night, at approximately 11.30 p.m., I went down to the Plaza Mayor, thepart of the city that has the worst reputation for the phenomenon known asthe botelln. What I saw confirmed the stories. Dozens of loud, aggressiveyouths all boys of course were dancing to bacalao and making a horriblenoise. When I approached to interview their spokesman, he merely informedme that if I wanted information, I would have to pay for it. What can bedone? I agree with the government. They should impose a curfew!

5

6

7

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LOOKING FOR INFORMATION1) Extract some language features that the speakers use to express their views. Go through theshort texts systematically, and note down the main words or short phrases that support theiropinions. If different speakers use the same words, dont repeat them. One word from each textis provided for you.

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enjoy

abuse

drunk

great

deteriorated

difficult

loud

TextNumber

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

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2) Now go through the texts and find as many arguments as you can to support the followingopinions. One in each column is suggested for you.

Alcohol abuse can cause many physical andpsychological problems

Young people need to enjoy themselves

BOTELLN IS A PROBLEM BOTELLN ISNT A PROBLEM

3)What solution does each speaker propose? Quote their solutions in the table below.

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TextNumber

1234567

They should experiment with alcohol

AGREEING OR DISAGREEING1)Take 3 of the solutions proposed, and say whether you agree or disagree with them. State yourown reasons (like a below) or use a point that someone has made in one of the texts (like bbelow). Make sure you agree (or disagree) with at least one of the three.Work individually.

(a) I disagree with the first solution because some kids dont know how to drink responsibly.(b) I disagree with the first solution because as the doctor says, people dont understand thatalcohol abuse can cause many physical and psychological problems

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1

2

3

2) Now get into groups of 3 and find out which solutions were the most popular in a ranking of 1-3.Your teacher will ask for the ranking based on each opinion.

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SOLUTION RANKINGS

The solution that we most agree with is

The second solution that we most agree with is

The solution we most disagree withis

1.

2.

3.

Number 1 is probably in favour of the legalisation of cannabis because he says that marijuanais beneficial to our health.

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ARGUING FOR AND AGAINST1)The texts below show different viewpoints on cannabis. All the passages are spoken by differenttypes of people. Decide which of the seven passages reflect arguments for and against the legaliza-tion of cannabis. Justify your answers.

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Substances such as alcohol and tobacco; legal substances, cause much more harm to thebody and many more deaths per year than marijuana. Not only is marijuana not harmful,it is in fact beneficial.The medicinal advantages of marijuana have been proved, used,and, therefore, even legalized in certain circumstances. Furthermore, keeping marijuanaillegal costs the government billions of dollars per year, which is wasted money.

The use of soft drugs, such as marijuana, leads to the use of hard drugs (the Gateway

Theory).

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Studies show that someone whosmokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as some-one who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day. Marijuana contains more than 400chemicals, including the most harmful substances found in tobacco smoke. For example,smoking one marijuana cigarette deposits about four times more tar into the lungs than afiltered tobacco cigarette. The short-term effects are also harmful.They include: memoryloss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor skills,decrease in muscle strength, increased heart rate, and anxiety. Marijuana impacts youngpeoples mental development, their ability to concentrate in school, and their motivationand initiative to reach goals.

1

2

3

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Legal prohibition does not stop consumers from taking drugs, and it does not stop

traffickers from producing and selling it.The price of the final product increases to very

high values because of the black market status, and due to the powerful effects of drug

addiction, the users commit crimes in order to pay for their addiction.

It is the most common treatment for those suffering from cancer. Marijuana has beenused to help with the problems that people experience with chemotherapy treatment.Patients that undergo chemotherapy often experience vomiting and nausea. Marijuanahelps reduce these effects so that the patients don't experience these side effects fromchemotherapy treatment.

Another condition that marijuana has helped with is AIDS Wasting Syndrome. Oftenpatients suffering from AIDS or HIV lose a considerable amount of body weight. Marijuanahas been used to help patients maintain a healthy appetite and diet which is importantto avoid other infections.

Researchers estimate that approximately 10% of individuals who try marijuana become

daily users. So for every 10 people who try marijuana, one of them will decide to smoke it

every day. Just like alcohol, marijuana can quickly become something to reach for when

stressed, sad, angry, or experiencing any other negative emotion.

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5

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2) Now go through the texts and find as many arguments as you can to support the followingopinions. One in each column is suggested for you.

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Substances such as alcohol and tobacco;legal substances, cause much more harm to thebody and many more deaths per year thanmarijuana.

The use of soft drugs, such as marijuana,leads to the use of hard drugs

ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF THELEGALIZATION OF CANNABIS

ARGUMENTS AGAINST THELEGALIZATION OF CANNABIS

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botelln! discussion language

REFUTING OPINIONS1) Read these opinions from a Town Hall meeting.

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Well, our next point is the problem with our teenagers. Children should be protected and keptoff the streets. Imposing a curfew could be a solution because that way, children would be offthe streets by 8 pm. However, we should invest more money in education.

AT HOME BY 8 PM:A CURFEW FOR TEENAGERS!Mayor:

Yes, I suppose we could spend more moneyon education but thats not a guarantee.We

should impose the curfew and fine the parents if their children are on the streets after 8

p.m.

Police officer:

Well, ok, ok. Calm down, please. I guess a curfew could solve part of the problem but not all ofit.We should educate our children about the dangers of alcohol and drugs.

Teacher:

Maybe a curfew couldcalm things down but

it wouldnt solve our problem. The town shou

ld

offer other choices of entertainment apart fro

m alcohol to young people.

Local teenagers:

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2) According to the opinions from the Town Hall meeting, decide whether the following sentencesare right or wrong. Refute the ones that are wrong. The first one has been done for you.

a) The mayor believes that a curfew is the only solution

b) The police officer believes that education is the only solution.

c) The teacher believes that a curfew is the only solution

d) The teacher believes that the solution is to give children more information about drugs and alcohol.

e) Local teenagers believe that a curfew is the solution.

f) Local teenagers believe that the solution is to offer more leisure activities to young people.

No, she doesnt. She said that a curfew COULD be a solution, BUT she thinks the realsolution is education.

DIPLOMATIC ON DISCUSSIONYou might have noticed that the speakers in the Town Hall meeting are very diplomatic whenresponding to each others opinions. For example:

Yes, I suppose we could spend more money on education but

3) Now, refute the following opinions using the diplomatic version model below.

Basic statement: After a botelln session, young people should clean up after themselvesThe diplomatic version: I suppose young people could clean up after themselves but wereally need more street-cleaners on botelln days.

a) Botelln should be forbidden

b) The Town Hall should prepare appropriate botelln places

c) Parents should control their children at all times

d)We should all stop drinking alcohol

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WATCHING A DEBATE1)Watch the following discussions on Pregnancy Discrimination (1) and the IraqWar (2) and answerthe questions.

(1) http://iwf.pjdoland.com/iwfmedia/show/21468.html(2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xht0HcPryWA

2) Describe the most significant differences you noticed in the discussions.

3) Now look at the agreement/disagreement/opinion-giving expressions in the box below anddecide from which debate they were taken. Copy them into the columns on the next page according to what you think. There are nine for each column.

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The speakers talk mainly to/through themoderator

The speakers talk directly to each other.

DEBATE 1(PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION)

DEBATE 2(US TROOPS IN IRAQ)

What Im trying to say is.. I understand that youre on the other sideExcuse me? Right. Ive got to round it up now.What we have to be thinking about I didnt say that!You never use facts. Ok we have to acknowledge that.Im not sure I would want to.. Thanks so much for your time.Your problem is that you. Lets face it, you areThat says to me that we need.. The truth of the matter is..No, but what I do think is. That is very true.What are you talking about? Im not so sure that..

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PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION (1) US TROOPS IN IRAQ (2)

STRATEGIES FOR DISCUSSIONS1) Listen to the interview with the sociolinguist Dr Lindee.Tick the box if you think she means thesame, and put an X against those which you think do not represent what she says.

1. Sociolinguistics is the study of how Chinese people speak.

2. The English think it is very important to interrupt people.

3. Spanish rules of discussion are different from English rules.

4. The British try not to shout or raise their voices in a discussion.

5. The British try to mention something that the other person has spoken about.

6. The British like someone to speak for a long time.

7. Discusin in Spanish means conversation in English.

8. The British are polite and the Spanish are rude

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CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND DISCUSSION STRATEGIESDID DR LINDEE

MEAN THIS?

2) Now use the text your teacher gives you to check the answers.

3) Use Dr Lindees six points as your own strategy list. Copy them down from the text. that yourteacher has given you.Write them into the box below, but try to write them in shorter form (seeexample for Number 1).

4) Add one of your own (in the space for Number 7 above), in case you think Dr Lindee hasforgotten any.

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Dr Lindees ListWait for your turn. Never interrupt. Wait to be invi

ted to speak.1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

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botelln! final task

CLASS DISCUSSION:WHAT CANWE DO ABOUTTHE BOTELLON?Its time now for the Final task! But before you begin, the instructions below describe the processyou will go through.

1)Your teacher will now assign you a role for a discussion on the botelln. In groups, write somenotes for the discussion in the Discussion Organiser (on the next page), proposing a solution thatcould be appropriate for everybody, giving arguments for and against.You can use the ideas youveseen through the sequence but dont forget the role your teacher has assigned you!

DONT FORGETReview your writing! Go through your most common errors and make the changes you think arenecessary.Write your groups proposal on the board.

2) Read the proposals made by the rest of the class and refute them in the Discussion Organizer

DONT FORGETBe polite! Use the structures in 9, 10 and 11.I could give you an example, but you should know which structures Im talking about .

3) Prepare yourself for the discussion: make sure your notes are clear and in order.

4)When you finish the discussion, think about what the other groups said and modify your proposal.Post it up in your classroom when you finish.

DONT FORGETBefore you post it, check your writing! Go through your most common grammatical errors andmake the changes you think are necessary.

3) Assess your role in the discussion using the Discussion Rubric.

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botelln! final task

DISCUSSION ORGANISER

PROPOSAL:

1) Provide arguments for your proposal as part of your evidence.

ARGUMENTS: EVIDENCES:

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1-

2-

3-

4-

2) Read the proposals made by the rest of the class and refute them.

PROPOSALS: ARGUMENTS:

LAST PROPOSAL:

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botelln! final task

1-

2-

3-

4-

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botelln! final task

DEBATE RUBRICFill in the rubric below with your assessment criteria for the discussion and then assess your role in thediscussion.

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CRITERIA 4 3 2 1 SCORE

ORGANISATIONAND CLARITY

Completelyclear andorderlypresentation.

Mostly clearand orderlyin all parts.

Clear insome partsbut notoverall.

Unclear inmost parts.

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botellon phenomena

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